GOALKEEPER James Bittner had a game to forget on Boxing Day and unfortunately for him it was in front of a live television audience.

The 21-year-old former Swindon Town trainee and Chippenham Town keeper was playing in goal for Conference side Exeter City at Hereford United's Edgar Street ground in front of the Sky TV cameras.

With the score at 1-1 Bittner raced from his area to clear a back pass.

But Hereford forward Paul Parry reached ball first and went down in a collision with Bittner for which the goalkeeper received a straight red card. The shot-stopper's evening was worsened with concerns he had suffered a knee injury in the challenge.

But the fears proved unfounded and he is hoping to bounce back quickly and continue what has been an impressive season so far.

"It was a clash of knees and at the time I was very worried because it was quite painful," said the goalkeeper, whose parents live in Devizes. But it turned out to be just swelling and I went in for training on Monday and it wasn't too bad.

"Fingers crossed I'll be okay for our home match on New Year's Day which is also against Hereford."

Bittner is delighted with how his season has gone so far bearing in mind the state of limbo he was stuck in during the summer. The former Fulham trainee had seen a move to Woking fall through and was then left out of contract at Chippenham Town.

Trials and training sessions with Queens Park Rangers, Southend and Yeovil Town all followed without success before, on the recommendation of former Bluebirds' boss Tommy Saunders, he was given a chance to impress at Exeter.

He kept two clean sheets in his first two games and was offered a two-year contract. Now he is looking forward to the rest of the campaign.

"It's going very well for me," he added. "I'm playing full-time football and I'm in the first team at the moment. I was disappointed with the sending off and it was made a bit more embarrassing because it was on the television.

"Once I decided to go for the ball I couldn't change my mind but I didn't think it was worth a red card.

"The good thing is that the referee said I will only be banned for one game instead of three. After looking at the incident again he decided it was a professional foul and not serious foul play."

Bittner is bidding to play his way into the England semi-professional side to play Italy in February at either Anfield, Old Trafford or the Riverside Stadium, Middlesborough.